On their second album, multi-national duo
Berg Sans Nipple (Lori Sean Berg is from Paris, while Shane Aspegren is a proud son of Nebraska) inhabit a satisfying middle ground between the electronic and the organic.
Along the Quai is dominated by the smooth surfaces of the team's synthesizers and sequencers, but Berg and Aspegren's percussion beds (ranging from trap drums to steel drums to stuff lying around the house) and the interjections of horns, guitars and acoustic keyboards allow the music to reveal a human touch that's lifelike and soulful. Most of the tracks on
Along the Quai are either instrumentals or feature vocals that are distorted and warped enough that they function as an instrument more than human speech, but the music communicates well enough without words -- cue up the angsty "Ghost," the joyous clang of "Carnival Days," or the title track's balancing act between shuffle and drift and see for yourself.
Berg Sans Nipple favor rhythm over melody on these eight selections, but they still manage to fine room for tuneful backdrops, and the duo's eagerness to change up their percussive surroundings prevents the grooves from running themselves into the ground. While much of
Along the Quai could pass for dance music in the heat of the moment, this album is clearly more about texture and atmosphere than providing a reliable pulse, and while it takes a few spins to sink in,
Berg Sans Nipple offer up something genuinely pleasing with this set, and there are any number of interesting directions they can go from here. ~ Mark Deming